Let's turn again tonight to John
chapter 15. John chapter 15. Do you rejoice in God's electing
love? The Apostle Paul did. He said,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him, before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him. Peter rejoiced in God's electing
love. He wrote, Ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, according
to the foreknowledge of God our Father. David, oh, how he rejoiced
in God's electing love as he brought the ark of God up to
Jerusalem, recognizing in that ark and the mercy seat all that
was represented of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ as our
sin-atoning substitute. He leaped and danced and sang
before God when his wife, Michael, who didn't know God, saw him
looking out of her window, dancing in the streets before all the
people, she thought, how disgusting. And when he came in the house,
she said, you've made yourself vile before the people. He said,
I've made myself more vile than that. You ain't seen nothing
yet. God chose me, not your father. And that's why I leap and dance
before you. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest
to approach unto thee. And our Lord Jesus rejoiced in
this great thing revealed in scripture called election. Just before he left this world,
he speaks to the disciples here in John 15, 16. And he gives this word for their
comfort, for their edification, for their strength to face that
which lay before them. He says in verse 16, ye have
not chosen me. That ought to lay things to rest,
shouldn't it? But ye have not chosen me. You didn't, you wouldn't, and
you couldn't. Does it lie within the realm
of possibility for a man of his own will, of his own volition,
by anything within himself, or any influence of any other upon
him, except God Almighty. It doesn't lie within the realm
of possibility for a man to choose Christ. He won't do it. He can't
do it. Not possible. Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you. And this is what he had to say
about it. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent. Hidden? That sounds like a deliberate
act. Thou hast hid these things. Put
a veil over them. Stuck them aside. cover them
up. Thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent. Do you ever wonder why folks
can't see the things you say? Because God's hidden them. The
wise man said he put the world in their heart so that they can't
find God. Thou hast hid these things from
folks who think they know everything. From the wise and prudent But
brother Don, why is it that I say, and hast rebuild them unto babes? For why did God do that? Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. And let men fuss and fight and
fume all they will, Their fussing, their fighting, and their fuming
is not with us, but with God Almighty. Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you. Now let's look at this for a
little bit. Look at it in the context. In verse 9, our Savior
assures us of His infinite, eternal love for us. He says, as the
Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. I hear folks say concerning such
passages as this, now you can't carry that too far. And I agree,
you can't carry that too far. Carry it just as far as you can. And you haven't begun to scratch
the surface of the age, not yet. The Lord Jesus says to every
sinner who believes Him, I have, as the Father hath loved me,
so have I loved you. Now watch this next word. Continue
ye in my love. That is to say, now, now that
I've told you this, Now that I have assured you of my love
for you, now that I have assured you of the fullness of my love
for you, go on living in the confident assurance of my love. Never doubt it. Always trust
in me. sweet words of mercy and grace,
that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. And then in verses 13, 14, and
15, he tells us some things that ought to, sure enough, make our
joy full. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. Ye are my
friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. What's he talking
about? Didn't you just read it? Continue
ye in my love. If you continue, if you abide,
if you dwell in, if you live in the confident assurance of
my love, ye are my friends. Verse 50. Henceforth I call you
not servants. Servants live in dread. Servants
live in constant fear. The word is slave. There may be some affectionate
relationship between a master and a slave, but the servant
lives in constant dread, never knowing for sure what the Master
may do with him. Our Lord Jesus says, as the Father
hath loved me, so have I loved you. Now you go on living in
the confident awareness of this. You're my friends, and you've
got no reason to ever be afraid. I call you not servants, for
the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I have called
you friends. Now here's the proof of it. For
all things that I have heard of my Father, I have opened up,
shown, and made known to you. Kept back nothing. You're my
friends. You're my friends. Between me
and you there are no secrets. the no secret hidden agenda,
no secret hidden motive, no secret hidden plans. I don't want you
to know that. You're my friends. Go on living in the confident,
constant assurance of my love for you. Now, look at verse 16. Here our Lord Jesus tells us
the source the fountain, the cause of all these blessed works
of grace. He laid down his life for us.
He has made us his friends and makes all things known to us.
He bestows all grace upon us because of his free electing
love. Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you and ordained you. you should go and bring forth
fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you shall
ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." In other
words, the Lord Jesus is telling us that His choice and election
of us is not the result of something we do, have done, or might hereafter
do. but rather the cause of everything
he has done, is doing, and shall hereafter do for us. His choice
and election is the source of all the blessedness we enjoy
presently and we shall enjoy eternally. He says, I've chosen
you, not because you brought some fruit to me, that you may
go and bring forth much fruit. I've chosen you so that your
fruit should remain. I've chosen you so that this
is the result. Whatsoever you shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it to you, because I have chosen
you. Now this is exactly what David
said in Psalm 65 verse 4. Turn back there for a moment
if you will. We're going to look at a number of passages of scripture.
I want you to see something of what this book teaches about
our Savior's choice of his people. Election. The blessed, blessed,
blessed sweet soul-cheering gospel doctrine of divine election.
Psalm 65 verse 4. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. Now there election is spoken
of in the present tense. Not because God presently is
performing the work of election. Nothing could be further from
the truth. That is nowhere revealed in Scripture. But it is revealed
presently in the experience of God's people as they are called
by His grace. Much like a A rancher might go
out in the days when they had open range laws, and when the
time came for roundup, he would go and cut his cattle out from
those on the open range, and round them up and gather them
to himself. They were his cattle before he
cut them out, his cattle before he gathered them to himself.
But now he comes and chooses them out of the rest, cutting
them out of the rest. God Almighty, before the world
was, chose us. And now the time comes and He
experiences His grace when He calls His own and calls us to
approach unto them. That refers to the sweet, irresistible,
almighty, omnipotent work of God the Holy Spirit in saving
grace, calling sinners to Christ. Somebody says, well, you folks,
y'all believe God saves sinners against their will. I sure do.
I sure do. He does that exactly, exactly
with their complete consent. What? Thy people shall be willing
in the day of thy power. There was a day when I heard
the gospel preached. And I continued to stand steadfastly
with my fist shoved in God's face, and I said, no, I won't
have him. I'd be tickled to death to go
to heaven when I die, don't want to go to hell when I die, don't
want to stand before God in judgment alone, but I will not trust God's
Son. I won't have him. I won't have
him. Just like you. Until one day, I saw him. And you know when I believed
on Him? When I couldn't do anything else. And that's when you'll
believe on Him. Not until then. When you have
no choice in the matter. You just have no choice in the
matter. You're overwhelmed by Him. Conquered by His love. Drawn
by His irresistible grace. And you'll thank God for it.
That Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to
approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. He never
would otherwise. That he may dwell in the courts
of divine favor, divine acceptance, and divine worship, and be completely
happy there. We shall be satisfied with the
goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. Lord God, because you chose us,
and you graciously, irresistibly force us to approach unto you,
making us willing in the day of your power by your sweet,
constraining grace, so that we continually are made to approach
unto you. And we realize that we approach
unto you only because we are continually made to approach
unto you. I was reading something by Mr.
Hawker earlier today. Kent stated exactly as he did,
and I don't recall exactly what his words were. He said, in essence,
grace is not Something God puts in you by which you work for
yourself. But rather it is the continual
operation of God in you. Why are you sitting here worshipping
him now? Because he causes you to. And
if he didn't cause you to, you wouldn't. If he didn't call you
to be coming to Christ, you would quit coming. If he didn't call
you to continue in his love, you would not abide in, live
in, dwell in the confident love of Christ any longer. Blessed
is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto
thee, that he may dwell in thy courts, and there we shall be
satisfied, satisfied with all the goodness of your house, even thy holy temple. All the goodness of Christ All
the goodness of heavenly glory, all the goodness of that place
which is set forth throughout the scriptures as God's own abiding
place where His glory is manifest. We shall be satisfied with all
the goodness of your bountiful provision. No wonder David leaped
and danced before the ark of God. No wonder on his deathbed
he sang, although my house be not so with God, yet he hath
made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things insure,
and this is all my salvation and all my desire. Now, let me
show you several things with regard to the gospel doctrine
of election. For some of you, this will be
a refresher course. For some of you, it will be completely
new. I pray for all of you. It will be blessed of God to
your soul's good. First, understand this. The Word
of God clearly teaches the gospel doctrine of election. There are
some who will tell you that the Bible does not teach election.
Now, this actually happened. Some years ago, a friend of mine
down in Dallas, Texas was out in his yard doing some work.
Folks from one of the big whoopee churches came by, one of the
Baptist churches came by and invited him to come to church.
He was wanting to get on with his work, kind of ignored him,
the fellow kept pressing things a little bit. Finally, my friend
asked him, said, what do you folks down there believe about
election? Now if I'm lying, I'm dying. This is what the fellow
told him. He said, well, I ain't sure, but I think about all of
them down there are Republicans. He said, I don't think I'll be
coming. Folks are so ignorant of this
book. Election is not taught here and there. It's not spotted
here and there. It's taught on every page in
this book. Every page. All you have to do
is just open it and look at it. It's everywhere you go. People
say, well, when I was at school they used to belittle the doctrine
of election, and they'd try to deride everything I believe.
That's some obscure doctrine taught in a few isolated passages
in the scriptures that nowhere clearly explain, and it's taught
just to the disciples. Huh? Our Lord Jesus, in Matthew
chapter 11, was standing before his disciples in a congregation
full of lost religious folks, and said, I thank you, you've
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them
to me. The Lord Jesus spoke continually to his disciples. He said, many
are called, but few are chosen. Look at Romans chapter 9. You're familiar with it, but
look at it. The book speaks of elect angels. It speaks of an elect nation. It speaks of elect ladies, elect
churches. We're told that when God Almighty
created the first man upon the earth, that man had two sons,
Cain and Abel. One was chosen, one was damned.
The Scripture speaks of the angels. There were elect angels who kept
their first estate because they were elect angels, and the others
who were not lost their first habitation. In Noah's day, do
you know how many people God chose in that day? Do you know
how many people God spoke to? Do you know how many people God
was gracious to in that day? And I'm not talking about caveman
days, forget that nonsense. I'm not talking about those imaginary
days when men walked around like apes and they could just drool
and scratch on rocks. I'm talking about Noah's day.
A day of tremendous brilliance, when the world was overflowing
with people. Do you know how many people God
spoke to? Revealed himself to? Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. Just Noah. Just Noah. At the time he went into the
ark, there was no evidence that any of his sons, his wife, or
his daughter-in-laws knew anything about God. Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. Abraham, Abram, lived in Ur of
the Chaldees with his father in all his father's house. God
called one man. Abram, you're mine. Just one man. Just one man. And he left the rest in darkness.
He chose Jacob, but not his brother Esau. Israel, the smallest of
nations, he chose to be his peculiar, typical nation representing his
church. No one can read this book and question, honestly question,
whether or not this book teaches the doctrine of election. It's
everywhere. And here in Romans 9, it's stated
so emphatically clear that this passage, I dare say, you could
attend church for 20 years and never hear it even read publicly
from the pulpit or in the Sunday school class. Did you ever hear
it all the time you were going to church? Did you ever hear it? But right
here it is. Romans 9 verse 11. The children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil. Now here's
the whole explanation. That the purpose of God according
to election might stand. Not of works, but of him that
calleth. This is why God says he did what
he did with Jacob and Esau. That the purpose of God, according
to the election, might stand. Verse 12. It was said unto her,
the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now you can translate that any
way you want to translate it. Read it any way you want to read
it. It still comes out, Jacob have I loved. Esau have I hated. God loved Jacob. And God hated
Esau. I don't know how on earth you
can explain God hating Esau. That's the easy part. I know
Esau pretty good. I understand that easy. I understand why God would hate
you. And me. And your sons and daughters.
And mine. I can't understand that. I can't
understand this. Why would God love Jacob? Only one reason. Even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in thy sight. Oh, this tricky son of
Jacob gives thanks to God that it seemed good in his sight to
love Jacob. Look at Romans chapter 11. Verse
5. Even so then, at this present
time also, there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. Well, Paul was writing in that
day. It's been 2,000 years since he finished that up. Well, it
has been. But even so, at this present
time also, there is a remnant. according to the election of
grace. Well, how do you know? Because we're still here. God
always, while time stands, has had and shall have a remnant. A remnant. The remnant... The remnant is the kind of stuff
poor folks deal with. Remnants. My wife goes to buy
things, she goes to remnant shops, because that's where you can
get the best buys. It's what other folks throw away. Remnants. What's left over and considered
by most to be useless. The small waste product. But that's what God deals in
all the time. remnant in the eyes of men. But what all the wealthy, the
useful, the mighty, the noble, all that is esteemed by men,
and all who esteem themselves among men, what they fail to
understand is they're the waste product. There's a remnant according
to the election of grace that the purpose of God according
to election might stand. What does it say? And if by grace, then no more
works, otherwise grace is no more grace, and work is no more
work. All right, the Bible teaches
election. What does it teach? Turn to Romans chapter 8. It
teaches this and teaches it distinctly. The purpose of God in all things,
in everything he does, The purpose of God in all things is the salvation
of his elect. Romans 8.28 We know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. The text does not say all things
work together for good. The text does not even say, all
things work together for good to them that love God. The text
does not even say, all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are called. And it sure doesn't say
everything is going to work out well. What does it say? All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called. according
to His purpose. The God of glory is a God of
purpose. And His purpose is just this.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified,
and whom he justified, then he also glorified." Predestination
is the all-inclusive purpose of God. Not the plan of God. Not the intent of God. The purpose
of God. We make plans, but plans can
be interfered with. Plans can be altered. Plans can
be changed. Plans can be torn up, thrown
away, and start all over again. Nowhere does this book talk about
God having a plan. Nowhere. Folks used to send out
tracks, head bumper stickers, and signs, and smile, God loves
you and has a wonderful plan for your life. What stupidity. God doesn't have plans. God has
a purpose. And he won't be turned from it.
It won't be altered. It won't be changed. It won't
be hindered. It won't, it will not change
in any way whatsoever, nor be thwarted, nor even paused in
any way. It is the purpose which God was
working when He, in the beginning, created the heaven and the earth. It was the purpose God was working
when Lucifer fell from heaven and God said, this is the purpose
that's purposed in the whole earth. It is the purpose by which
God was ruling the world when Adam sinned in the garden and
plunged the whole race under the curse of God's holy law in
sin and in darkness. And it is that purpose which
God Almighty was working when He nailed His Son to the tree
according to the determinate counsel and full knowledge of
God, and it's that purpose He is still working today. He will
not be turned from it. He says, I will do all my pleasure. God's purpose is the saving of
His people, and God's purpose is being performed. has always
been performed and will continue to be performed until all his
elect are safe at home with Christ in glory. Now, you're familiar
with Ephesians chapter 1, and you don't need, yeah, let's do
a look at it. Let's do a look at it. It'll do you good to look
at it again. When we talk about election,
don't ever think of God's election merely as a point of orthodox
doctrine. It is that, but it is indescribably
more. If you look at election just
as a point of doctrine, like you'd look at some aspect of
history and argue about what happened there and why it happened
and so forth, It means nothing more than some aspect of history.
Election is God's eternal purpose of grace in Christ for the saving
of our souls. It's in Christ. Here in Ephesians
1, in verses 1 through 14, 14 times the Holy Spirit tells us
that everything about God's grace and God's salvation is in Christ. Look at it. Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are
at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ. That's the first one.
In Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. There it is, from
Christ. Verse 3. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
He hath chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him, in love having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. to the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted
in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein,
that is, in Christ he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according
to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself. that
in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things unto the counsel of his own will. Now
look at this, that we should be to the praise of his glory
who first trusted in Christ. God the Father trusted Christ, His Son, our
surety, with all His glory, all His purpose, all His will, and
all His elect. trusted Him as our surety and
our Savior, trusted Him as the God-man mediator, that we should
be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ.
Now, if the Father trusted Him, how much more ought we to trust
Him? Read on. In whom ye also trust. When did
you trust Him? After that you heard the word
of truth. Not any word of truth, the word
of truth. And here it is, the gospel of
your salvation. When the spirit of truth has
come, he will convince you of sin, of righteousness, and of
judgment. He will convince you of the gospel
of your salvation. In whom also, after that you
believed, that is, having believed, ye were sealed, sealed up. Sealed up like preserves in a
jar. Sealed. Sealed like a seal on
a document. Sealed. Implying ownership and
privacy and protection. Sealed with that Holy Spirit
of promise. The Spirit that God promised
back in Joel 2. Which is the earnest, the down
payment, the foretaste, the pledge from God of our inheritance.
until the redemption of the purchased possession. The Lord Jesus came here to fulfill
the Father's trust. He came here to lay down His
life for sinners, chosen of God from eternity, trusted to His
hands from eternity, and they called His name Jesus according
to the word given them by God, because He shall save his people
from their sins. The Lord Jesus didn't come down
here to get God in the notion of loving somebody. He came here
because God loved us. The triune God loved us with
everlasting love before the world began. John Kent put it this
way, T'was not to make Jehovah's love towards the center flame
that Jesus from His throne above a suffering man became. T'was
not the death which He endured, nor all the pains He bore that
God's eternal love procured, for God was loved before. He
loved the world of His elect with love surpassing thought,
nor will His mercy ever neglect the souls so dearly bought. Now, turn to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 2. Election is unto salvation. Now I could spend a long time
here. I'll spend just a few sentences,
but you listen carefully to these few sentences. Yes, there is a sense in which
God's elect were saved from eternity. We read it in Romans chapter
8. In the mind, purpose, and decree of God, we were justified,
sanctified, and glorified in Christ before the world began
when he called us his sons. Yes, there is a sense in which
all God's elect were saved at Calvary. Well, if you say he
was saved from eternity, that means Calvary is meaningless. I wish folks would learn to quit
reading God's Word through their speckled, narrow glasses of their
own puny brains. and rather bow their puny brains
to God's revelation. Nobody's going to glory, election
notwithstanding, except Christ die. Is that clear enough? Without
the shedding of blood is no remission of sins. That's exactly what
this book teaches. And there is a sense in which
God's people are saved by the regenerating work of God the
Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel when he gives us
faith in Christ. And regeneration and faith that
come through the preaching of the gospel are as necessary to
salvation as was God's purpose of grace in election and Christ's
accomplishments at Calvary in redemption, and the resurrection
glory that we're yet to experience. Election is unto this salvation. Look here, 2 Thessalonians 2
verse 13. We're bound to give thanks all the way to God for
you, brethren beloved of God, because God hath from the beginning
chosen you, get it now, to salvation. Unto salvation. We believe in
election, but we believe God chose folks to serve us. Well,
if He chose somebody to serve Him, He chose them to save them.
Unto salvation. How did He do that? How is He
going to save His people? Through sanctification of the
Spirit. Well, we believe in election.
If you talk about the necessity of folks being born again. Why,
you're putting works in this thing. You're talking about salvation
by experience. God said He chose His own unto salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit, through the sanctifying, setting
apart work of God the Holy Spirit by which He calls out His own,
causing them to approach unto Him. And, do you notice there's
not even a comma there? This is just as necessary. and
belief of the truth. Well, how on earth is anybody
going to believe the truth? Whereunto he called you by our
gospel. All are necessary blessed works
of God's free grace that flow to us from his eternal election. Oh, how I rejoice to read our
Savior's word I have chosen you and ordained you. And this, learn
as well, His choice of us is an absolute, free, unconditional,
immutable choice of grace. He chose us Because he would. Sometimes foolish preachers look out at a congregation and
foolish men and women look at people and say, well I just believe
he's one of God's elect, God's going to save him. Because we observe things that
appeal to our eyes. and think somehow that identifies
and qualifies for God's grace. Who's elected? Who do you reckon
sitting here tonight God's going to save? I'll tell you who. The very one you think ain't
going to happen to you. The very one you least suspect. You remember when Samuel went
down by the command of God? to anoint king in Israel. He
told him to go to Jesse's house and one of his sons is the chosen
king. And he came in and he told Jesse, he said, God sent me here
to anoint one of your boys to be king in Israel. Whoopee, I
know which one. I know it well. And he goes out and calls his
son. Nope. And he calls the next one, and the next one, and the
next one, and the next one. And finally Samuel said, hadn't
you got any more sons? He said, well, yeah, but you
don't want him. He's useless. He's out there
unattending sheep. That's all we use him for. Go
get him. And when that ruddy boy walked
in, God said, Arise. Adore him. This is He. That's
where you always find God's elect. Where they're least expected. Where they're least expected.
And his choice is always effectual. My sister heard me say that one
time, and she said, what does that mean? That means it gets
the job done. It's always effectual. God saves
his own. Oh, love, how high thy glory
swells. How great, immutable, and free! Ten thousand sins, as black as
hell, are swallowed up, O love in vain! Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you. Now continue ye in my love. Amen. Let's sing My Soul Consider.
I believe it's number 78 in the Songs of Grace book. My soul
consider this great thought Number 78.